Big changes at Colo. schools Teacher evaluations, Common Core Standards debut this year

By Kevin Simpson The Denver Post

Posted:
08/17/2013 10:22:37 PM MDT

Updated:
08/17/2013 10:23:07 PM MDT

Seismic educational shifts and a hint of future possibilities lie ahead as the 2013-14 school year in Colorado institutes changes in standards and assessments for both teachers and students -- and presents a monumental question for taxpayers.

Teachers and principals will see the rollout of long-awaited evaluations in most districts based on a formula that weighs both professional practices and student outcomes to determine an effectiveness rating tied to tenure.

Students, meanwhile, will get their first exposure to the controversial Common Core State Standards, which have been blended with revisions Colorado already had in the works.

And all of this unfolds to the backdrop of a campaign to revamp the entire school finance system, which would happen only if voters approve a $950 million tax increase in November.

Although the teacher evaluation system goes into effect statewide, this year will be a sort of trial run -- a "hold harmless" year in which negative ratings won't count against an educator. After three straight years of demonstrated effectiveness, teachers earn tenure, but can lose that status after two consecutive years of ineffective performance.

Educator surveys show a sense of trepidation that greeted the new law has been tempered as districts have become more familiar with the process, said Katy Anthes, executive director for educator effectiveness at the Colorado Department of Education.

"This is a big change," she said. "But we're excited that for the first time, really, Colorado has a statewide set of standards and a road map for what we want to see in high quality teaching and high-quality leadership for our principals."

Overall, 159 districts are using the state model for both principals and teachers; seven are using their own local system for principals and teachers, while 11 districts are taking a hybrid approach of using the state system for one, their own for the other.

Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Cindy Stevenson said her district, which is incorporating a hybrid, has been working with teachers on building the evaluation system for two years.

"We're looking at this as a huge opportunity for us to be better professionals," Stevenson said. "I don't think it's going to be easy. I think we're doing it without resources, but we're going to try to make it really good for kids and teachers."

Students also will get their first widespread exposure to the new Colorado Academic Standards, which integrates state efforts at revision with the common core, which has been adopted by most states.

Colorado voted to adopt the common core in 2010, largely because the new standards aligned with subject-area revisions the state had been working on for the last few years -- but also because adoption came with the possibility of federal funding.

Critics have expressed concern about the quality of the common core standards and also worry that it could be a precursor to a national curriculum. Supporters stress that states still have flexibility in how they approach the academic framework geared to college and career readiness.